Railway car construction



nxammer 5 sheets-shut 1 Oct. 19, 1943. v. a wEsT RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 31, 1941 LCHIIIIUI Oct. 19, 1943. v. a wEsT RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3l, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 F'ytl Fiyi? [buen iw' Wcor Weyl' /Qorney oct. 19, 1943.

V. E. WEST RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 31, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 limp/Zim V/ar E. W25? LGIIHIIUI Patented Oct. 19, 1943 LGIHIIIUI RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Victor E. West, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,790

7 Claims.

The invention relates to ventilated house cars and particularly to the conversion of refrigerator cars to cars adapted to be operated under ventilation.

A common type of refrigerator car which has been in general use for a period of many years has ice bunkers disposed adjacent opposite end walls of the car with hatches thereabove in the roof for loading refrigerant. The central portion of the car is the lading compartment; bulkheads are provided adjacent each ice bunker to define the ends cf the lading compartment. The bulkheads have considerable strength to resist the thrusts of the lading caused by service movements of the car. The lading is commonly supported within the lading compartment by oor racks which provide a space between the lading and the iioor of the car. The bulkheads are spaced from the door and from the roof so that air, upon being cooled by the refrigerant in the bunker, circulates under the bulkheads to the space below the lading. The air then circulates upwardly through the floor rack, which is foraminous for this purpose, through the lading compartment and over the bulkheads to the ice bunkers, from where the above described cycle is repeated.

In recent years, more modern types of refrigerator cars have seen considerable service. There are mechanical refrigerator cars, dry ice cars, side bunker cars and particularly overhead bunker cars. The last mentioned is becoming increasingly popular because it is more eflicient due to the height of the refrigerant above the lading. making possible the maintaining of lower and more uniform temperatures. In addition, more space is available for the lading on account of the absence of ice bunkers at the ends of the cars.

The advent of the new types of refrigerator cars has presented the problem of disposing of the old cars. It is not economically sound to operate an old type of car when a new and more eflicient type is available. Neither is it sound to scrap cars which are in good mechanical condition and have years of service remaining. It is an object of this invention to convert refrigerator cars to ventilated cars. Many fresh fruits and vegetables give off heat during storage or transportation, which heat results from chemical changes occurring within the fruit or vegetable, such as ripening. While many such products may be safely transported at any temperature within a relatively Wide range, it is important that fresh air be supplied continuously to carryaway the heat which is constantly emitted. To allow the heat to remain within the lading compartment is to increase the temperature excessively with a consequent acceleration of ripening and possible spoilage.

It is an object of this invention to convert a refrigerator car to a ventilated car by providing means for the air to enter through the hatches at one end of the car, permeate through the lading within the car and ow out of the car through hatches positioned at the opposite end of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to prevent water from entering the hatches and reaching the lading. Many types of lading are damaged by moisture and since cars must be ventilated during rainy weather, means must be provided to trap the moisture which accompanies the Ventilating air.

A further object is to adapt the car so that air may enter at either end and iiow out at the opposite end, thereby permitting the car to be operated in either direction.

A still further object is to provide means to conduct Ventilating air into the upper part of the lading compartment, both for the purpose of cooling the upper part of the load and to carry away warm air which collects in said upper part due to respiration of certain types of lading and to the sun heating the roof of the car. Another object is to prevent the entrance of moisture into the upper part of the lading compartment.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end portion of the car shown in Figs. l and 2. For clarification, the roof is removed and the parts of the walls which are exterior of the lining are not shown.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a refrigerator car from which the car shown in Figs. l to 3 was converted.

Fig. 5 is similar to a portion of Fig. 1 and shows a modified construction.'

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 shows an end bunker refrigerator car comprising roof 2, end walls 3, floor 4, ice bunkers 5, bulkheads 6, hatches l, lading compartment 8, floor rack 9 and space I0 between the rack and floor. Like numerals indicate like parts in all figures.

The conversion of the refrigerator car of Fig. 4 to a Ventilating car comprises removal of the bunkers 5 and bulkheads 6 and the addition of parts which will be hereinafter described. Insulating hatch covers are commonly provided to prevent ingress of warm air to refrigerator cars. The covers of older type cars ordinarily had no fixed relation to the hatch frames 2| but were attached thereto by means of chains to prevent loss; in more modern cars, the covers are usually hinged, as shown in Fig. 1. The conversion of some types of cars requires no changes in hatch cover` arrangement to conform to that shown in Fig. 1; in other types of cars, the hinges 24 and supporting pieces 25 must be added. The supporting pieces 25 are preferably adjustable so that the covers 20 may be opened varying distances. Additional sections of floor racks 21 should also be added to the portion of the car originally occupied by the ice bunkers 5.

The Ventilating means is arranged to inject air into one end of the car, both into the space |0 and into the upper part of the lading compartment 8. Said means is also arranged to permit the escape of the air through the hatches at the opposite end of the car from the entrance end. A flue 38 is provided adjacent each end wall 3 by a vertically extending partition 3| supported in spaced relation to the wall 3 by a plurality of spaced apart, vertically extending spacing members 33. Apertures 34 are preferably provided in the members 33 for air communication between parts of the flue 30.

A horizontally extending channel member 36 extends preferably between the opposite side walls 31 of the car immediately below the hatches 5. The channel member 36 is arranged with its open side facing toward the opposite end of the car and slightly upwardly. A baille 39 has one marginal portion 40 thereof secured to the ceiling 4| of the car and its opposite side 42 extending between the spaced apart flanges 44, 45 of the channel member 36 in spaced relation thereto. The channel member 36 is arranged to overlie the partition 3| and the web 41 of the channel member 36 is formed into a. trough 48 extending into the flue 30. The trough 48 is arranged to incline toward the center of the car and is provided with outlets 50 for the deposition of liquid and other foreign matter into the flue 30.

The baille 39 has depending flanges 55 formed on the opposite ends thereof and secured to the side walls 31 of the car. The lower flange 45 of the channel member 36 has depending reflanges 56 formed on the opposite ends thereof and secured to the side walls 31 of the car in overlapping relation with parts of the flanges 55. Z shape braces 58 are arranged with the webs 59 vertical, their lower flanges 6| secured to the lower flange 45 of the channel member 36 and their upper flanges comprising parts 62 secured to the baille 39 and other parts 64 secured to the upper flange 44 of the channel member 36. A screen 65 is preferably arranged to extend between the upper flange 44 and the side 61 of the hatch frame 2| to prevent the entrance of hot cinders and other foreign matter into the lading compartment 8. The arrangement of channel member 36 and baille 39 hereinabove described comprises, in effect, three spaced apart baflles and means disposed in spaced relation to the middle baille to connect the upper and lower baffles.

In Fig. 1, the direction of motion of the car is such that the end 15 is the head or leading end. As the car moves, air is trapped by the hatch cover 16 and injected through the hatch 18. The flange 44 divides the air stream into two parts, one of which (see arrows is directed into the flue 19 and the other of which (see arrows 82) is directed between the flange 44 and the baille 39. The part indicated by arrows 89 flows into the space I0 and gradually percolates upwardly through the lading stored in the compartment 8, thereby carrying away the heat of respiration. The part of the air stream which is indicated by the arrows 82 has its direction reversed and flows between the baille 39 and flange 45 into the upper part of the lading compartment 8, for purposes hereinbefore set forth. The change of direction of the air stream 82 deposits liquid carried thereby in the trough 48 from which the liquid drains through the outlets 50 into the flue 19. The liquid entering the flue both directly through the hatch 18 and from the outlets 50 is preferably drained from he car through the water sealed drains 84. Both the air stream 88 and the air stream 82 flow toward the trailing end of the car and flow outwardly through the spaces between the flange 45 and baille 39, and between the flanges 44 and baille 39 respectively. Under certain conditions, a small part of the air stream 80 may flow the length of the car through the space I9 and escape through the flue 81.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modified form of the invention substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 except in the following respects: A modified type of screen 90 is shown to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into both the flue 3D and the lading compartment 8. The screen 90 is preferably constructed to be set as a unit down into the hatch frame 2|. A baffle 9| is added to direct the air downwardly against the upper surface of the lading and to lessen the possibility of air flowing in one hatch and out the other without being agitated and directed to all parts of the car. Substantially vertical plates 93 are provided under the floor rack 21 to obstruct air flow so that the air does not flow from end to end of the car without entering the lading compartment 8. The plates 93 are provided with apertures 94, part of the air being directed upwardly by the plates 93 and part flowing through the apertures 94 toward the opposite end of the car.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that th'e invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof adjacent an end wall of the car, a vertically extending flue associated with said end wall, means to direct air owing exteriorly of the car inwardly through said hatch, baille means secured to said roof adjacent one side of said hatch extending across said hatch and from side to side of said car to divide the air flowing through said hatch into two parts, means to direct one of said parts to said flue, means to direct the other part of the air about said baille means to the upper part of the lading compartment of the car, and

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lLixllLlliln/l l-Aullllllvl means to prevent the entrance of liquid into said lading compartment.

2. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof, and a ilue' associated with a wall, means providing a tortuous passage for ilow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a channel member having spaced apart flanges, the web of said channel member extending to the upper end of said flue to direct part of the air ilowing through said hatch into said ue, the free edge of one of said flanges extending across the central part of said hatch and the free edge of the other of said flanges being disposed within the car, and a baiiie having one end interposed between said anges in spaced relation to said member and the other end disposed closely adjacent one side of the hatch to direct another part of said air owing through said hatch into the upper part of said car.

3. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof, means providing a tortuous passage for flow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a channel member having spaced apart anges, the free edge of one of said anges extending across the central part of said hatch and the free edge of the other of said anges being disposed within the car, a baille having one end interposed between and overlapping said flanges in spaced relation to said member and the other end disposed closely adjacent one side of the hatch, and means to drain liquid trapped by said channel.

4. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof adjacent a wall of the car, means providing a tortuous passage for flow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a channel member having spaced apart flanges, the free edge of one of said ilanges extending across the central part of said hatch and the free edge of the other of said flanges being disposed within the car and the closed side of said channel being disposed adjacent and spaced from said wall and roof, a baille having one end interposed between and overlapping said flanges in spaced relation to said member and the other end disposed closely adjacent one side of the hatch, and

a ue associated with said wall extending downwardly to the lower part of the car and communicating at its upper end with the space between said member and said wall.

5. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof adjacent a wall of the car, means providing a tortuous passage for ow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a channel member having spaced apart flanges, the free edge of one of said flanges extending across the central part of said hatch and the free edge of the other of said flanges being disposed within the car and the closed side of said channel being disposed adjacent and spaced from said wall and roof, a baffle having one end interposed between and overlapping said flanges in spaced relation to said member and the other end disposed closely adjacent one side of the hatch, a flue associated with said wall extending downwardly to the lower part of the car and communicating at its upper end with the space between said member and said wall, and means to drain liquid trapped by said channel into said ilue.

6. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof, means providing a tortuous passage for flow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a concave member having spaced apart sides, and a baie having one end interposed between and overlapping said sides in spaced relation to said member thereby forming said passage, one end thereof being arranged to communicate with said hatch and the other end with the interior of the car.

7. In a railway car having a hatch in the roof, means providing a tortuous passage for flow of air through said hatch to the interior of the car comprising a channel member having spaced apart flanges, a baille having one end interposed between and overlapping said anges in spaced relation to said member thereby forming said passage, one end thereof being arranged to communicate wi-th said hatch and the other end with the interior of the car, and a depending trough arranged to collect liquid trapped by said passage.

VICTOR E. WtEs'r. 

